When people are not old, their brains start to forget things? Maybe “early-onset dementia” is at work

Speaking of dementia,< span>People always think it’s an older person’s business,But cognitive impairment and dementia,not just “only” for older people.

For the most common form of Alzheimer’s disease, about 5% of patients develop it before age 65 or even younger. Early-onset dementia is quietly threatening the brain health of young and middle-aged people.

What is early-onset dementia

Early-onset dementia, also known as juvenile-onset dementia, refers to acquired cognitive impairment that develops before the age of 65 and affects activities of daily living. The most common age of onset is about 50 years old, and a small number of them even develop the disease in their 20s and 30s. It is estimated that there are currently about 11 million dementia patients in my country, of which at least 500,000 have early-onset dementia.

Due to the relatively early age of onset, many patients are still in the active period of work and life, and problems such as old-age support, child support, spousal relations, and genetics follow one after another. I and my relatives face multiple problems such as social role conflict, economic crisis and family relationship crisis, which have far-reaching social impact.

In general, the pathological changes in the brain of patients with early-onset and late-onset dementia were similar. However, early-onset patients tend to have more rapid cognitive decline, more prominent psychiatric disorders, and more significant functional impairments. Studies have found that the pathological changes in the brain of patients with early-onset dementia, such as diffuse brain atrophy, extensive reduction in brain metabolism, and neurofibrillary tangles, are more serious in patients with late-onset dementia.

genetic factors

Three known genes: presenilin protein 1 (PS1) , Presenilin 2 (PS2), amyloid precursor (APP) genes are related to early-onset dementia.

Environmental factors

such as low education level, poor socioeconomic status, alcoholism, heart disease Cerebrovascular disease, traumatic brain injury, etc.

Life Habits

Some of the life habits of modern young people, such as staying up late to watch dramas, Irregular work and rest, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, etc., can impair cognitive function.

Early diagnosis is critical

The public awareness of early-onset dementia is seriously low. There are knowledge gaps even among medical staff.

The onset symptoms of these patients are often atypical, forgetfulness/memory impairment is less common, and mental disorders and personality changes are more common. Therefore, early-onset dementia is often missed or misdiagnosed as hormone level disorders, mood disorders, etc. According to statistics, the diagnosis time of patients with early-onset dementia is delayed by an average of 1.6 years, and patients cannot receive timely and effective treatment and health support, which greatly affects their prognosis and quality of life.

Is cognitive impairment getting younger

In recent years, the memory disorder clinic of the hospital has indeed seen many young patients, and the number of patients is increasing year by year.

First, Due to the improvement of social and economic level and the continuous education on the knowledge of cognitive disorders, more and more people are paying attention to Their own cognition and thinking problems, including young and middle-aged people.

Second, Modern life is fast-paced, work pressure is high, and mental load is heavy. Many young people have cognitive impairments, which are essentially mild The somatic projection of anxiety and depression, appropriate relaxation and decompression, and psychological counseling, the symptoms are reversible. This is different from the organic early-onset dementia mentioned above.

In addition,due to poor living habits and dietary structure, various vascular risk factors and the age of onset of concomitant diseases (such as hypertension, diabetes, etc.) It is earlier and younger, leading to younger strokes; correspondingly, vascular cognitive impairment or vascular dementia also affects younger people more. Active control of vascular risk factors is imminent.

What to do if you suspect cognitive impairment

Young and middle-aged people who suspect they have Cognitive impairment, don’t avoid the disease, and don’t talk about it, you should go to the memory impairment specialist clinic in time. Through a standardized, comprehensive examination, a clear diagnosis.

For “pseudo-dementia” caused by anxiety, depression, and mood disorders, it is necessary to adjust the mentality, decompress in a timely manner, and provide psychological counseling and drug treatment if necessary.

Patients diagnosed with early-onset dementia should receive long-term systematic treatment in regular hospitals and plan work and life in advance. At the same time, patients and their relatives can also receive treatment under the guidance of doctors. Genetic screening.

Actively controlling risk factors can reduce the incidence of dementia by about 40%. The study found that through active advocacy and risk factor prevention and control, the incidence of dementia in developed countries has been declining.

Here, we also call on all walks of life to pay more attention to the early-onset dementia group and develop social and public welfare support for the young and middle-aged groups.